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What Steps Do I Take to get Started?
So you've decided to start a weekly paper.
Congratulations!
Here is a quick list of key start-up steps. You'll find more details on
the other pages of this site.
Find a Reliable Web Press
If you are unfamiliar with the printing and publishing industries, then
you should do a little research. For example, you need to know what a
web press is, as opposed to sheet-fed presses. For example, most print
shops in any town operate sheet-fed presses. Copy shops (such as
Kinko's) often have no printing presses at all. They have electrostatic
copiers, instead. A real printing press uses ink, not toner, to
reproduce an image on paper. A web press is a very large (sometimes two
or three stories high) printing press that prints from giant rolls of
paper, instead of stacks of pre-cut sheets. Confused, yet?
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Newspaper Info Bookshelf
Be sure to visit
the Newspaper-Info Bookshelf for books and guides containing
valuable newspaper and business information. Learn how
to interview, write articles, sell ads, write ad copy, take
photos, and keep the books straight. You can also
discover detailed startup & operation information.
Go Now. |
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Newspapers, including the tabloid-sized papers this website is all
about, are printed on web presses, not on sheet-fed presses. Things
didn't start out that way, but that's how they are today. It's all about
economics. You'll typically pay less for 5,000 copies of a 20-page
tabloid newspaper — run on a web press — than for the same quantity of a
12-page newsletter (with only an 8-1/2x11 page-size) run on a sheet-fed
press. Read that last sentence a few times, and make sure you grasp the
significance.
Web presses are located in two places. The local daily or weekly
newspaper is often one place. The other is the high end commercial
printer, usually located in an industrial park. The best deal will
usually be found at the newspaper publisher. News presses understand
short deadlines, and can produce your paper within hours instead of
weeks. They also have a better selection of newsprint paper stock, and
offer better pricing, as a rule. You don't want heavy paper if you're
paying for postage. You don't want to go broke every issue, and you will
need your paper produced within a day (or over night), and not next
week.
You will want to avoid going to your direct competitor, though. It's a
good idea to find one in the next town or county owned by a different
company.
Distribution: Direct Mail
Mailing addresses can be purchased from several sources. For a new local
paper, however, I suggest you do a saturation mailing in your area,
using "Standard" class (with your own permit number). Standard Class is
a newer name for the old Bulk Rate. As long as you mail out at least 200
papers at a time, you will qualify for this class. You can also study up
on Periodical Rate, but it has more restrictions, and may not lower your
cost. Take the time to understand your options, Sit down in the main
post office with US Postal representatives that can answer your
questions and offer meaningful options.
Saturation is the best way to go, to start with. Depending on the mail
route(s), you may not have to supply a separate address for each mail
stop. Talk to the postmasters in the area you wish to cover. Postal
boxes and saturating whole neighborhood routes are the simplest (and
generally least expensive) way to cover every household in any local
area. If you're not ready to pay for mailing to every household, then
you can rotate routes, sending the first issue to one route, the next
issue to another route, etc. And make sure you place papers in local
stores and businesses.
Saturation mailing is also a great way to recruit new subscribers, if
you choose to have subscribers. People must see the paper if they're to
decide whether or not they like it. When this kind of direct mail is
combined with free copies at local stores and other gathering places,
everyone soon knows about the paper.
About buying mailing lists: I've never been impressed with purchased
lists. But I know good mail lists are available for many areas. Be sure
you get a written guarantee for a refund on every dead address from any
list supplier.
Distribution: Newspapers
for Sale
Another option, on making your new paper available locally, is to print
a nominal price right on the front of the paper. I did this, charging
25¢ a paper. Make a big deal of how small the price is. Where can you
buy a newspaper for 25¢ anymore? If you can buy a local daily for 25¢,
the you charge only a dime for yours. I won't matter to you anyway,
because you won't be getting the money.
Whatever you charge for the
newspaper will go to the store that sells it. Why? Because that provides
the store with incentive to have your paper on or near the counter. It
makes a sweeter deal for everyone. Readers get a great deal, the store
gets a great deal, and you get your paper distributed — which helps you
sell your ads! Everybody wins.
Permits, Licenses, and
Legalities
Legalities are usually not much of a problem for starting and running a
local paper. You should obtain regular city and/or county business
permits for your business address. Be sure to register your business
name with the state and/or county. Any fees for such registrations and
permits are usually nominal. Your county and state clerk can help you
with any specific information you need.
The Business of Making Money
Be sure to open a business account at a local bank for the paper. Shop
around, if needed, until you find a bank that is enthusiastic about your
business. This is a great time to talk about advertising to the banker,
and the account makes life simple for your paper's bookkeeping. You may
also want to find someone to keep your books for you. Trading the
bookkeeping service for advertising is a good deal for both parties.
At some point, you will want to also obtain a tax id number from the
IRS, or you can use your own ss# if you are the sole owner. Choosing to
incorporate is a decision you can make any time. Be sure to consult with
a good lawyer before you make any final decisions along those lines.
There are good reasons to remain a sole proprietor as well as valid
arguments for incorporating. Liability, in the event of a lawsuit or
business failure, are things to to consider.
Newspaper
Sales 101
Mainly, you simply need to get out and meet the business people and
community leaders in your area. Let them know what you have in mind and
invite them to work with you. This is the real start of any newspaper.
My first day in the newspaper business was spent selling ads. You can
use the first couple of issues to make your pitch to the rest of the
people.
Sell in person.
Telephone calls on behalf of a well-known, long established business may
work. Especially, when trying to set up an appointment with a in-house
corporate buyer. But for a brand new publication you need to go visit
with business owners face-to-face. So take a shower, comb your
hair, make proper use of deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc., and put
on clean clothes. Then go out and meet your new customers.
You can only hope to get out of any sales call what you put into it.
Business people only feel harassed when "bothered" by the phone in the
middle of a busy day. But many will give up a little of their time if
they see you also investing your time to be there in person. Your
presence contributes as much to the sale as anything you could possibly
say.
New in sales, with virtually no business-to-business experience? I
suggest you begin with very small businesses, where there is not a
"personnel barrier" around the business owner, such as an office manager
or receptionist. Get in front of as many people as you can. Allow your
confidence to grow with success, then move on up to larger businesses.
You are now a business owner. You're not talking to potential
advertisers as someone else's representative, but as a fellow member of
the business world. They will listen to what you have to say. And
you're talking with them something they both need and want — even if
they don't know it yet.
Every business wants more buying customers. Every business needs to
increase their exposure to the public in effective and appealing ways.
They need to improve and expand their "local voice." A good local paper
is a valid and effective means of doing just that — especially when you
include free exposure on your newspaper's website. The double exposure
reaches all kinds of people.
Confession: Before I started my newspaper I always hated
sales. But owning my own business, and talking about it was easy and
stimulating. The same is true for the potential advertisers you meet.
Business owners will not mind telling you the story of their success, so
far, and what they hope to get done in the coming year, etc. Listen
carefully and take notes. Learn about them and work with them to help
make it happen.
We're Having Fun ... Right?
Above all things, have fun. A newspaper should fun to operate, and a
pleasure for all the readers. There are lots of serious things to cover
and do, but even those are all good as positive changes are made. The
people of any area can do great things when encouraged and assisted in
small ways. And that work is the greatest fun of all.
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Common Sense Business
Owning a newspaper
publishing business is like owning any other business. Ok,
there are some really big differences. But some things are
always the same.
Before starting any
business, you need to research the local laws and regulations that
may apply. While newspapers are not usually subject to any
special licensing in a free society, they are always subject to the
laws, taxes, and regulations that affect businesses.
Do your homework and
start your paper out right.
Your research can begin
at the local library, or you can simply call the city, county and
state agencies in your area that regulate, inspect or tax local
businesses. You can get financial advice at your local bank or
credit union, and bookkeeping information and help at a local
accountant's office.
Keep accurate records of
all daily business-related income and expenses. Be sure to
file and pay taxes properly.
Be smart and you will
help to guarantee your own success. Be stupid, lazy, or shoddy
in your preparations and you will be sorry later on.
Here's a simple thought
to keep in mind: If the simple research and legwork required to
properly start a business is too much trouble for you then you won't
make it as a newspaper publisher.
News reporting of any
kind is time-consuming work, and it always includes lots of
research, as you chase down and organize facts. Just think of
the info you need to start a business as your first big story.
After all, it's the story you will be researching, testing and
living for years to come if you start your own newspaper. |
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